Bowling Green Riverfront Bowling Green, Kentucky
Services Provided
Riverfront Planning
Park Planning and Design
Playground Design
Community Engagement
People Involved
Andy Knight
Casey Elmer
Nathan Young
New riverfront park for community and recreational wellness
The Bowling Green Riverfront Park Master Planning project on the Barren River includes about 71 acres of City-owned land, connected to the College Street Pedestrian Bridge that connects to Mitch McConnell Park. Historic Downtown Bowling Green sits six blocks south of the park and has benefitted from hundreds of millions of dollars of investment over the last two decades for projects related to performing arts, public parks, streetscape, residential, commercial spaces, medical facilities and a baseball stadium.
MKSK has been engaged by the City of Bowling Green to lead a multidiscipline team in the planning and design efforts. Inspired by the movement and flow of water across and through Bowling Green’s karst landscape, Riverfront Park presents a multi-layered conceptual framework that weaves together the meandering riparian edges of the Barren River and the vast network of underground caves that are unique to the Bowling Green area.
Divided into The Terrace (West Riverfront Park) and The Flats (East Riverfront Park), the flowing network of proposed paths and trails offers opportunities to connect users with park destinations, activities, nature, and the river’s edge. Proposed pathways provide multiple loops and circuits for walking and jogging while also connecting people to a variety of natural landscapes including meadows, wooded areas, and the riparian edge of the Barren River. These pathways also provide connectivity between more active areas of the park including play areas, performance lawns, food truck areas, interactive water features, and a canopy walk elevated in the trees.
Throughout the park, there are several opportunities for park users to engage in unique play and recreation areas. From a sculpted bouldering wall to themed play spaces for younger users, Riverfront Park will be a destination for all ages and abilities to come together and improve community health and wellness.
